Hino Motors
August 26, 2002 Hino Motors, Ltd. (日野自動車株式会社, Hino Jidōsha, , commonly known as simply Hino, is a manufacturer of diesel trucks, buses, and other vehicles based in Tokyo, Japan. Since 1973 the company has been a leading producer of medium and heavy-duty diesel trucks in Japan. It is a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation. History The company traces its roots back to the founding of Tokyo Gas Industry Company in 1910. In 1910 Chiyoda Gas Co. was established and competed fiercely against incumbent Tokyo Gas Company fighting for gas lighting users. Tokyo Gas Industry was a parts supplier for Chiyoda Gas but it was defeated and merged into Tokyo Gas in 1912. Losing her largest client, Tokyo Gas Industry Co. broadened their product line including electronic parts and renamed herself as Tokyo Gas and Electric Industry(東京瓦斯電気工業), TG&E and was often abbreviated as Gasuden. It produced its first motor vehicle in 1917, the Model TGE "A-Type" truck. In 1937 TG&E merged its automobile division with that of Automobile Industry Co., Ltd. and Kyodo Kokusan K.K. to form Tokyo Automobile Industry Co., Ltd., with TG&E as a shareholder. Four years later the company changed its name to Diesel Motor Industry Co., Ltd. which would eventually become Isuzu Motors Limited. The following year (1942), the new entity of Hino Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. spun itself out from Diesel Motor Industry Co., Ltd., and the Hino name was born. Following the end of World War II, the company had to stop producing large diesel engines for marine applications, and with the signing of the treaty, the company dropped the "Heavy" from its name and formally concentrated on the heavy-duty trailer-trucks, buses and diesel engines markets, as Hino Industry Co., Ltd. The company took its name from the location of its headquarters in city within Tokyo prefecture. To sharpen its marketing focus to customers, in 1948, the company added the name "Diesel" to become Hino Diesel Industry Co., Ltd. In 1953, Hino entered the private car market by manufacturing Renaults under licence, and in 1961 it started building its own Contessa 900 sedan with an 893cc rear-mounted engine. The Italian stylist Giovanni Michelotti redesigned the Contessa line in 1964 with a 1300cc rear-mounted engine. This developed 60hp (44 kW) in the sedan and 70hp (51kW) in the coupé version. However, Hino ceased private car production very quickly in 1967 after joining the Toyota group. Hino Trucks are also assembled in The Republic of Ireland by J Harris on the Naas/Nangor Roads. File:TGE-A.jpg|1917 TGE-A File:HINO-4CV-01.jpg|Hino Renault 4CV File:Hino contessa ebb650.jpg|Hino Contessa 1300 Hybrid vehicles Hino motors sells hybrid versions of some vehicles and plans include further improvement and growing sales of hybrid systems, Hino: Press Releases Hino: Hybrid Wireless charging Hino, is testing a new kind of hybrid electric vehicle without a plug (outboard charging electric vehicle). The energy in the batteries doesn't come from a plug and charging point, it comes from a wireless charging system built into the road. A series of induction coils built into the road resonate energy at a certain frequency, like radio waves. The bus is able to capture those waves and store the energy in its batteries . Products Trucks * Profia (previously Super Dolphin Profia), sold as Hino 700 for export - heavy duty truck * Bonneted medium truck (for North America) - coded Hino 600. * Dutro - light truck, hybrid vehicle version available. * Ranger 2 FA, FB, FC - light trucks replaced by Dutro. * Ranger - also sold as Hino 500, medium to heavy truck ** The Ranger KL was first introduced in 1969 ** The 2nd generation was launched in 1980 ** The 3rd generation of 1989 is called Rising Ranger and Cruising Ranger. ** The latest 4th generation (Ranger Pro) came in 2002, Hybrid vehicle version available. :The first generation Ranger KL spawned into KM, KR, and other variants. In Australia. :Hino has competed in the Dakar Rally since 1991 with a Ranger FT 4WD truck driven by the Japanese rally driver, Yoshimasa Sugawara. Hino has always finished in the Top 10 in the Camion Category, and 1-2-3 overall in the 1997 event. * 155 Class 4 - light duty truck * 165 Class 4 - medium duty truck * 185 Class 5 - medium duty truck * 258 Class 6 - medium duty truck * 268 Class 6 - medium duty truck * 338 Class 7 - heavy duty truck * 358 Class 7 - heavy duty truck Hino also sells the European truck Scania R420 in Japan, into an agreement with the Swedish brand. File:Dutro125LTFlatBed.jpg|HINO Dutro 125LT File:FM320PContainer2020.jpg|HINO Jumbo Ranger Hino artic + semi-lowloader - 1 ca.jpg|Hino truck with semi-lowloader trailer Buses * Poncho - Non Step light bus * Liesse & Liesse II - light bus ** The Liesse II is a rebadged Toyota Coaster. * Blue Ribbon & Blue Ribbon II- city bus ** The Blue Ribbon II is a rebadged Isuzu Erga. * Rainbow & Rainbow II - medium bus ** The Rainbow II is a rebadged Isuzu Erga Mio. * Melpha - medium bus * S'elega - luxury bus ** The new model is offered as High Decker and Super High Decker. * Front-engine chassis (e.g. FB) - light bus * Front-engine chassis (AK) - big bus * Mid-engine chassis (BG, BX, CG, CM) - big bus * Rear-engine chassis (RC, RG, RM, RK, RU) - big bus File:HinoRGStarBus.jpg|HINO RG Bus (chassied) File:GV Florida Transport Inc - Hino RM - 323.jpg|HINO RM Bus File:Eiraku-Koutsuu 1993.jpg|HINO S'elega Bus File:Waseda University School bus 2007-01.jpg|HINO Rainbow BUS File:SanchungBus 568FN Front.jpg|HINO RK Bus Cars *Hino Renault 4CV, built under license *Contessa, passenger car built in 1960s *Toyota FJ Cruiser, SUV built for Toyota, 2006-Present Affiliates/Subsidiaries *Audi Motor Assembly, Japan (a former joint-venture with Audi) *Harris Hino, Ireland - Assembly from Kits *Hino Motors Canada, Ltd. - see Toyota Canada *Hino Motors Manufacturing Colombiawww.pracodidacol.com. *Hino Motors Manufacturing USA. http://hinointl.com/ ** Hino Motors Sales U.S.A. (distribution division)Hino Motors Sales U.S.A. *Hinopak Motors, Pakistan *Indomobil (Indonesia) *Pilipinas Hino, Inc., Philippines (Pilipinas Hino Motors) * Praco Didacol. Colombia Assembly plant. *Samco (Vietnam) References External links * Company website (English) * Company website (Japanese) * HinoSamurai.org (Research Center of Historic and Existing Hino Contessa & Hino Samurai Cars, English and Japanese) Overseas offices * Hino Motors Canada, Ltd. (Canada) * Hino Motors Manufacturing U.S.A.,Inc. (U.S.A). * Hino Diesel Trucks Inc. (U.S.A). * Hino Indonesia * Hino Motors N.V. (Europe). * Hinopak Motors Limited (Pakistan). * Pilipinas Hino Incorporated (Philippines) * Hino Australia (Australia) Category:Bus manufacturers of Japan Category:Truck manufacturers of Japan Category:Toyota Category:Hybrid electric bus manufacturers Category:Subsidiaries Category:Companies founded in 1942 Category:Hino Category:Motor vehicle manufacturers of Japan Category:Companies of Japan